ArmA 2 LOD stuttering, texture flickering

[afp 1]

I haven't play ArmA 2 for a while (basically because of texture flickering I couldn't get rid of) so I dont know what is the progress about this but it looks like it isn't fixed yet in the last beta patches.

I just discovered that the game textures are actually messed, in the video bellow we can see the gates are closed when zooming, meaning that the lower resolution mipmaps are messed and do not corespond to higher resolution ones. It could also be some video driver / video card bug, by selecting the wrong index, but I really doubt. This would expain a lot, I just hope this wont be in ArmA 3 too...

Could you please tell me what is the progress about this? Any intention to have it fixed?

[[frl]myke 14]

Switching LOD's has nothing to do with Mipmaps. Try changing your Object detail level.

[iceman77 18]

Up object detail & maybe use default for video memory. Default is made for highend cards. I was having a similar problem, but where when I would zoom, textures would go all shitty on me alot of the time. Default fixed the problem instantly.

[Leopardi 0]

Up object detail & maybe use default for video memory. Default is made for highend cards. I was having a similar problem, but where when I would zoom, textures would go all shitty on me alot of the time. Default fixed the problem instantly.

Even the lowest end cards nowadays have over 512MB of memory...

[iceman77 18]

Okay? I don't keep up with hardware. Until I know I'm about to have to upgrade. In any case, was just throwing some ideas out there for the guy...

[afp 1]

I don't want to change my object details level since with the maximum one I lose about 25 FPS (using very low now). With "very high" the problem is reduced but it still exists. Video memory size doesn't help. We're dealing with a bug here anyway, I'm not interested in workarounds but in fixing it.

[matrixismyname 1]

What CPU/GPU do you have Cracker ?

[kklownboy 43]

Doesnt matter much on what his kit is. It is a issues that is total poo. It happens to everybody. I just move on and accept that A1,A2,OA sux when it comes to whatever that is.

Takistan is the worst offender. Guess there is a ticket, but like most of the flicker/Zfight/ and the destruction models for the buildings(which are the worst of the worst for flicker). If you look at the vid, or put a player in the editor look down at a Taki town, zoom over the scope.Object pop(even on verylow).

The HDR/ Bloom effect where dark becomes light when zooming, poor IQ there too. But I have just moved on and dont really pay attention to it. Alot of AA will fix the flickers, but nothing fixs the "pop". Some maps are better than others.

[[frl]myke 14]

We're dealing with a bug here anyway, I'm not interested in workarounds but in fixing it.

It's not a bug. If your CPU can't handle the load (yes, object detail belongs to CPU), it simply can't handle it. What should BI do? Ship you a new CPU? Your system have reached it's limit.

[afp 1]

Some maps are better than others.

Those with less buildings having "broken" textures I guess...

Myke;2304434']It's not a bug. If your CPU can't handle the load (yes' date=' object detail belongs to CPU), it simply can't handle it. What should BI do? Ship you a new CPU? Your system have reached it's limit.[/quote']

My computer is one and a half year old, still it is a i7 3.4GHz, 16G RAM, NVidia 560 video card, 128G SSD so its not the CPU, at least it shouldnt be, since it is in the game minimum requirements. The movie shows clearly that one of the mipmap is a texture with the gate CLOSED, while another one is with the gate OPEN, so it is obviously a bug in the .paa file of the building or in the game engine handling these mipmaps.

Edited February 26, 2013 by afp

[Leopardi 0]

Myke;2304434']It's not a bug. If your CPU can't handle the load (yes' date=' object detail belongs to CPU), it simply can't handle it. What should BI do? Ship you a new CPU? Your system have reached it's limit.[/quote']

Not ship a new CPU, but make the game utilize more cores than just 1 better.

[domokun 515]

Those with less buildings having "broken" textures I guess...

My computer is one and a half year old, still it is a i7 3.4GHz, 16G RAM, NVidia 560 video card, 128G SSD so its not the CPU, at least it shouldnt be, since it is in the game minimum requirements. The movie shows clearly that one of the mipmap is a texture with the gate CLOSED, while another one is with the gate OPEN, so it is obviously a bug in the .paa file of the building or in the game engine handling these mipmaps.

An i7 is powerful but unfortunately HT isn't supported. To be honest, 3.4 isn't that fast and your video card isn't that fast either.

So before overclocking your CPU, try these tried and tested tweaks:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?85124-ArmA2-OA-%28low%29-performance-issues&p=2081466#post2081466

Not ship a new CPU, but make the game utilize more cores than just 1 better.

The game is based on an engine that is almost 10 years old.

Back then multi-cores were VERY rare.

We all agree that it would run more smoothly if it had better support for multi cores.

[Dwarden 1125]

update to latest OA beta please http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?146963-ARMA-2-OA-beta-build-102591-(1-62-MP-compatible-build-post-1-62-release)

[[frl]myke 14]

Those with less buildings having "broken" textures I guess...

My computer is one and a half year old, still it is a i7 3.4GHz, 16G RAM, NVidia 560 video card, 128G SSD so its not the CPU, at least it shouldnt be, since it is in the game minimum requirements. The movie shows clearly that one of the mipmap is a texture with the gate CLOSED, while another one is with the gate OPEN, so it is obviously a bug in the .paa file of the building or in the game engine handling these mipmaps.

There are no mipmaps with gates open/closed. It is a lower resolution LOD which simply doesn't have the gate modelled. You see very clearly that geometry also changes which couldn't be caused by mipmaps. Trust me, i know a bit about the LOD/Mipmap system of A2. It is definately LOD switching and object detail is tied to CPU performance.

Out of curiosity, what is your shadow detail setting?

[afp 1]

Myke;2306098']Out of curiosity' date=' what is your shadow detail setting?[/quote']

High.

Myke;2306098']It is a lower resolution LOD which simply doesn't have the gate modelled.

Well' date=' switching to it causes buldings graphics flickering and a bad feeling overall... The tree / vegetation LOD changing is not that disturbing.

update to latest OA beta please http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?146963-ARMA-2-OA-beta-build-102591-(1-62-MP-compatible-build-post-1-62-release)

The same...

My setttings here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/a2000/Arma/arma2oa-2013-02-28-01-23-57-79_zps1324dc0f.jpg

Test mission, just look at the village and zoom.

http://www.speedyshare.com/CgN7b/TestLod.Takistan.pbo

Edited March 2, 2013 by afp

[kklownboy 43]

No matter of CPU OC will fix the posted issue. No ingame setting (..well VD till you cant see it), or CCC setting either.

4.5hz CPU at any resolution(8/6 to 20/15) will not change behavior. Only being closer to the objects will fix it.

---------- Post added at 08:42 ---------- Previous post was at 08:33 ----------

An i7 is powerful but unfortunately HT isn't supported. To be honest, 3.4 isn't that fast and your video card isn't that fast either.

So before overclocking your CPU, try these tried and tested tweaks:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?85124-ArmA2-OA-%28low%29-performance-issues&p=2081466#post2081466

The game is based on an engine that is almost 10 years old.

Back then multi-cores were VERY rare.

We all agree that it would run more smoothly if it had better support for multi cores.

HT has no barring at all. No game in or lifetime will use the extra "cores" (not real ones) of HT ever. You may get more usage of real physical cores, so his i7 being a quad has enough cores for his lifetime of gaming... This issue isnt a "performance issue" . This issues is a Dev's art asset LOD choice issue. It wont go away ever. Bis isn't going to change them.

[afp 1]

This issue isnt a "performance issue" . This issues is a Dev's art asset LOD choice issue. It wont go away ever. Bis isn't going to change them.

Let's just hope they will have it fixed in ArmA 3.

[armouredchock 1]

I installed the latest beta patch ARMA 2 AO 112555 and I'm still getting the flickering shadow bug. When I pan around or move forward and backward, shadows flicker on and off. I've noticed this problem since Arma 2 1.11. The only fix is to completely turn off shadows, which obviously makes the graphics look worse, so it's not an ideal solution, but at least it works. I've tried every tweak I can find to no avail. In Arma 2 1.11, running at 60FPS, it still happens, so it has to be a bug that has still not been fixed.